A Day With Special Friends

With Wesak Day being a sacred day where Buddhist reaffirm their faith in Buddha, renew their vow to live a noble life and radiate loving-kindness, we decided to spend this day with our special friends from Pusat Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Klang.  This time we brought with us sausage rolls which we pre-ordered from a Bakery in Setia Alam just the day before. Not only was this Bakery willing to accommodate our request for 100 sausage rolls on a day’s short notice, but the Owner also gave us a special discount upon learning that those rolls are meant for the handicapped centre nearby. This may be just a small gesture for them but nevertheless meaningful.  I was wondering, how many business owners are willing to emulate this Bakery and forgo a little profit?

My question was answered shortly after when we went to a Stationery shop not far from there to purchase a Carrom Board for PPKCK. From our last visit, we noted that their existing one is cracked, but yet they continued using it cause it is the only one they have. After exchanging the usual pleasantries with the Owner, he was also generous enough to sell it to us at near-cost price when he learned where the Carrom board will go to. Bless both their good hearts. It’s truly heartening when you meet good people like them.

We arrived after lunch time, so the sausage rolls were kept for teatime. The kids were delighted with their new Carrom board. In fact, they were doubly delighted cause we also brought our sons' seldom-played Carrom board for them. We spent our time playing with the kids as usual, obliging their requests and being entertained by their antics.  However, at one moment, my joy was replaced by sadness when a little girl with Down Syndrome sat down in front of me, rested her head on my lap for a few seconds before looking up at me sadly and said “My mother did not come to see me…”.  Later, we found out that her mother abandoned her shortly after placing her there, never to return… She is just one of the typical cases at this Home.  Most who place their handicapped kids there, will initially visit them on weekly basis, the visits gradually turn to monthly visits and after some time no visits at all. Attempts to contact them will be futile as contact numbers would no longer be in service.  There is a mentally-retarded lady who is her 30’s now, left there when she was barely a teenager because the father was ashamed to have a retarded daughter in the family. Some were even dumped by their parents in the hospital after they were born. I guess it's not easy to accept that your child is "different" and the thought of taking care of a special child may overwhelmed them, that's why they made that decision... but is that a right decision?

However, not all will place their special kids in a Home as in this case of an old lady in her 80's, who had been taking care of her 40-plus year old mentally-challenged son all this years. We made our acquaintance with them on that day when they came to visit him. We were told by the niece that he just checked-in 3 days ago and the reason they placed him there was because his mother, the old lady, is gradually succumbing to old age and illness and unable to care for him anymore. His other siblings, who have families of their own to tend to, finds it a daunting task to take him in and care for him.  Therefore, sending him to a Home seem to be the only option. The old lady was seen wiping her eyes every now and then, her grief and helplessness apparent in her wrinkled face…

As evening draws near, we bid farewell to our special friends and as usual, this always bring a tinge of sadness to our hearts.  We have grown so fond of them….